China welcomes US-North Korean nuclear agreement

BEIJING 
China has welcomed an announcement by North Korea that it will suspend nuclear and missile testing and uranium enrichment in return for U.S. food aid as a positive step toward peace on the Korean peninsula.

The U.S.-North Korean agreement, which follows talks last week in Beijing, is a preliminary step toward restarting broader, six-nation negotiations aimed at getting the North to fully abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement posted Thursday on the ministry website that China welcomes efforts by the two sides to improve relations and preserve peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

He reiterated China's willingness to participate in efforts to restart the six-party talks.